Marginalia

Accumulations

The after-life of this blog’s current adopt-a-corpse case will apparently fade quickly into silence, as in so many other cases.

After obtaining a writ of habeas corpus last Friday, the three military police troopers accused of murdering publicist Ricardo Prudente de Aquino were due to return to active duty [yesterday]. According to attorney Aryldo de Oliveira de Paula, who represents the three men, they will not patrol the streets but will be reassigned to desk duty.

Paula says that corporal Robson Tadeu do Nascimento Paulino, 30, and troopers Luis Gustavo Teixeira Garcia, 28, and Adriano Costa da Silva, 26, will be sent to the 23rd PM Battalion to learn their new duties. The writ was granted by judgeWillian Campos of the São Paulo state high court..

Aquino was murdered on July 18. The PMs say he fled from a traffic “blitz” and initiated a ten-minute pursuit. Aquino only stopped when the three troopers cut off his escape with a squad card of the Tactical Force, on the Av. das CorujasVila Madalena. As a result of the blockade, the vehicles collided.

This occurred just meters from our front gate.

The PMs then fired 8 shots into the car, of which two struck the left side of the driver’s head.

Photos of the scene show four holes fired directly into the windshield and another in the windshield support. The side window was open and presumably the two fatal shots were fired through it, at right angles to the windshield

Aquino was taken to the Hospital das Clínicas, but did not survive his injuries. The PMs were charged on the scene with second-degree murder (intent to kill)

Family members are organizing small protest marches in order to keep the case in the public eye.